Hand that rocks the cradle Questionable parenting
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 16 2015 -
Parenting is not a joke. It is however not rocket science either.
A point which should have been raised a long time back and given the number of voluntary organisations and pressure groups here, it is a wonder that no meaningful stand or opinion has been articulated so far.
Or is it a case of parenting being strictly personal affairs that it should be left to those who have fathered or mothered a child or two or three to decide ?
No doubt what transpire between a parent and the child are strictly personal affairs, but then again it also stands true that parenting or lack of it do have a direct impact on society as a whole.
A point which should have sunk into the consciousness of everyone here.
There are no hard and fast rules on how to bring up a child or mould their character, but there are certain things which are known as universal truths and no parent in Manipur can escape from these universal truths.
No schools on how to be good and effective parents. But it stands true that parenting is much more than admitting a child to a school and getting him or her educated.
It is also much more than just standing up for their rights and giving them the needed protection.
It is about what life has taught a person and how to deal with the challenges of being adults and parents as well.
Perhaps it is keeping in line with the responsibilities of becoming parents that almost every country has some sort of a law which lays down the minimum age for anyone to enter into wedlock.
Moral Science may say what good behaviour is all about but ultimately there are no prescribed text books dealing with good behaviour and this is where the responsibilities of the parents come in.
It is not for nothing why parents are regularly referred to while assessing the conduct and behaviour of a child.
The question is whether parents are aware of this and even if they are aware whether they have taken any concrete steps to set examples for their children to follow or not.
As it is, the reality that is Manipur today does not have much to offer as good examples for the youngsters to follow.
The issue gets compounded when parents care two hoots about their behaviour and conduct which impact on the mental state of their children.
This is all that more so when children are at that stage when they get easily impressed.
It is a pity that while many have shared their thoughts on the affairs of the State and the people, not many have actually come forward to say something meaningful about parenting and how the conduct and behaviour of the parents impact on the young and impressionable children.
Moulding a child is not about bringing up an individual child for in many ways the later conduct and behaviour of the child are going to impact on society as a whole and the sooner this is realised by the parents the better it would be for all.
What parents do today will go a long way in deciding the future of the land and the people.
The Manipur one sees today may have a lot to do with the quality or lack of parenting.
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